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Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

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ABJ

Running game drones on

Droughns gets 11 carries. Offense sputters minus Frye's scrambles

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - An ugly game produces ugly numbers, and none was uglier for the Browns than the 11 carries given to Reuben Droughns in the season opener.
Droughns is the offense's bell cow, the running back who is (in theory, at least) supposed to get 20 or 25 carries a game. With Droughns and an offensive strategy built on strength and power, the more he runs, the better the running game should be.
So... he gets 11 carries in a 19-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Why?
``That's something that I'll take a look at,'' Browns coach Romeo Crennel said Monday. ``I'm not sure how many carries he had in the first half, but I don't think he set the world on fire with those carries.
``From a coaching standpoint, if you don't have very many yards in the first half, I don't know how excited you are about continuing to call runs in the second half.''
``I can't say why, but I would think there wasn't any early success running the ball,'' guard Cosey Coleman said. ``You get behind and we were struggling, especially offensively.
``Any time you get behind, the tendency is to start throwing it. That's how most offensive coordinators are in this league.''
``We did what we thought was going to work,'' Droughns said, later adding: ``We have different packages that we're trying to work in there.''
Those packages are put together by coordinator Maurice Carthon and the offensive staff. Sunday, the packages included using rookie Lawrence Vickers on third-and-short and rookie Jerome Harrison at varying times.
The Browns gained two yards in the first quarter, one rushing and one passing.
By halftime, they had three first downs, and Droughns had six carries for 16 yards.
Vickers and Harrison had two first-half carries apiece, but the offense did so little that the pass-run ratio was not skewed. In the first half, the Browns ran 12 times and had quarterback Charlie Frye throw eight.
Still, Frye admitted that the Browns were only down 9-0 at halftime, and that they still could have run the ball.
On their first possession in the second half, the Browns dropped back to throw seven times and handed off three times. Frye's scrambling ability led the team to a touchdown on that drive.
``Mo's doing the best job that he can,'' Droughns said. ``We just got to make plays for him.''
The approach in the opener, though, seemed to go away from the Browns' strength. Their offensive line is built on power and struggles with speedy defensive fronts (like the Saints).
Slamming a smaller front with the run would (in theory) wear down a smaller defense -- provided that it works. And Droughns is typical of most backs in that the more he runs, the stronger he says he feels.
In a game that saw the Saints run Deuce McAllister 22 times and Reggie Bush 16, giving Droughns the ball 20 to 25 times does not seem outrageous.
``That would be ideal,'' Droughns said. ``But I've got to work within the system, too.''
``I think he's the type of back that can handle that,'' Coleman said. ``That's just my philosophy on the running game. To get the running game going, you got to have reps.''
Crennel said Vickers had been used in short yardage all preseason, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to see him.
Vickers missed the hole on his first attempt, and cornerback Mike McKenzie brought him down.
``He should have gotten the yard,'' Crennel said. ``I think it was a defensive back who ended up coming up to make the tackle on him. You would think that a running back would be able to gain a yard.''
Fullback Terrelle Smith said he had the block on the play, and Vickers did not follow him. Smith said Vickers would have handled it differently with more experience.
``He would have known he'd have to run somebody over,'' Smith said. ``The way you make short yardage is by being tough. You get a yard by hitting somebody.''
Vickers' second attempt called for him to go wide on a toss-sweep. The Saints blew up the play before it started.
The Browns had third-and-short four more times and converted all. They ran Jerome Harrison once and threw three times, including a touchdown to tight end Kellen Winslow.
Would Droughns like to be on the field for third-and-one?
``Me being a competitor, I never like to leave the field,'' he said.
But it seemed on Sunday that he spent as much time running on and off the field as he did running between the tackles.
That fact was mentioned to Droughns and he laughed.
``It seemed that way, didn't it?'' he said -- before adding he still has to work ``within the system.''
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ABJ

Browns notebook

Jurevicius' injury a poke in ribs

Another newcomer is lost. With wide receiver likely out, Cribbs, Wilson could be called upon

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - The Browns lost new starting center LeCharles Bentley on the first day of training camp.
They then lost wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, a free-agent signee, on his first catch of the season.
Jurevicius hurt his ribs on a fourth-and-one reception (called back by penalty) when he was hit by New Orleans Saints defender Josh Bullocks.
Jurevicius did not return to the game in the 19-14 loss.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel said X-rays on Jurevicius were clear after the game, but the team sent him for an MRI on Monday.
It seems that he will not play this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals and could be out longer depending on the injury.
With Jurevicius out, rookie Travis Wilson will likely be activated against the Bengals.
Joshua Cribbs was the third receiver Sunday, and he said he was at fault for not catching the ball on an out route on the Browns' final drive.
``I should have kept on the move and got the ball and got out of bounds,'' Cribbs said.
Getting through
Crennel explained some of the team's mental lapses:
? Chaun Thompson was late getting on the field for a punt because the player who was supposed to be on the field had just gotten hurt.
``It looked like Chaun screwed it up, but in reality, we had a guy hurt and he was filling in for him. Some of those things happen during the course of the game and it's unfortunate that we ended up using a timeout. It's better to use a timeout than get a punt blocked.''
? On Terrelle Smith and Kellen Winslow bumping into each other when shifting: ``We weren't as crisp as we thought we'd be.''
Crennel said last season he wanted his team to stay close and try to win the game in the final minutes.
``This year, I expect more,'' he said.
Crennel said his patient demeanor in a news conference should not be misunderstood.
``I get my message across to the players,'' he said.
Too much running
Nobody was pleased with quarterback Charlie Frye being the leading rusher on the team -- though everybody seemed to recognize that the Browns would have looked worse without Frye's scrambling.
``You don't want your quarterback to have to run and be the leading rusher,'' Crennel said. ``Even though it was good that he was able to make some plays for us, it wasn't good that he had to make some plays for us.''
Frye was beat up after the game, but Crennel said he expects Frye to be ready for practice as the Browns prepare for the game Sunday.
Brownies . . .
On the defensive line, Crennel said: ``They gave up 150 yards rushing, so you can't say that's good.''... Asked if the offense's failures were breakdowns or attributable to the play-calling, Crennel said no one person is to blame. ``You can say it was my fault because I'm the head coach and the buck stops at my desk. I don't think you can realistically say one guy caused the team to lose. Several guys caused the team to lose.''... Cornerback Daylon McCutcheon might try to return to practice this week for the first time since he had arthroscopic surgery on his knee Aug. 1.... Other injuries: Tight end Darnell Dinkins (hamstring) and defensive lineman Nick Eason (ankle).... Are the Browns better than they showed Sunday? ``I would like to believe that,'' Crennel said. ``In that belief, though, sometimes you get a false sense. We are only as good as we are, and we aren't very good right now.''
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Canton


Browns running problematic
Tuesday, September 12, 2006 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]


BEREA - The Browns thumbed their noses at national predictions of doom. Then the Saints rubbed their noses in it.
Fullback Terrelle Smith remained appalled on the Monday after a 19-14 loss to a team presumed full of holes.
?We were supposed to make that stadium rock,? Smith said. ?We?re not as good as we think we are.?
But who are they?
Some members of the offense see a power running team.
Yet, while Saints running backs Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush were rushing 36 times for 151 yards, Cleveland?s Reuben Droughns, Jerome Harrison, Lawrence Vickers and Smith were providing just 41 yards on 16 carries.
Quarterback Charlie Frye either passed, got sacked or ran 38 times.
?I wish ... even if the play gets no yards, just let us run a play where I hit somebody and Reuben runs the ball,? Smith said. ?Because ... that?s what we are, a run offense, a play-action pass offense.?
Coming off a 1,232-yard year, Droughns touched the ball once in the first eight snaps.
Droughns finished with 11 carries for 27 yards. Last year, his season lows in carries (10) and yards (36) came in a 41-0 loss to the Steelers on Christmas Eve.
On Monday, Droughns said he would ?love? more carries, but he was supportive of coordinator Mo Carthon.
?We have different packages we?ll kind of work in there,? Droughns said. ?Mo?s doing the best job he can.?
?We do have so many weapons. You can?t really base your offense on one thing.?
Droughns concealed any disappointment about losing short-yardage carries that went to rookie Lawrence Vickers and went nowhere.
?He?s a bigger man,? Droughns said. ?They feel with his weight he can make a yard a lot easier.?
What was Crennel thinking, giving key third-down carries to a rookie?
?We?ve been doing it all preseason,? Crennel said.
?He should have gotten the yard on a third-and-one. I think it was a defensive back who ended up coming up to make the tackle on him. You would think that a running back would be able to gain a yard.?
Meanwhile, Smith clearly thinks the Browns? best weapon is the battering ram.
?Go hit ?em in the mouth, then they don?t want you to come back and hit ?em again,? Smith said. ?That?s somethin? we didn?t do to start the game. If we would have done that, things would have turned out different.
?Their linebackers weren?t bricks. They were soft guys. They were a soft defense, but they were very disciplined. They played together, and we just kinda went out there flat.?
Left tackle Kevin Shaffer said the Browns can be ?a great running team.?
?It?s just little tiny things that can make a big running game,? he said.
Shaffer didn?t mean it this way, but Droughns? carry total, 11, certainly was little.
?That?s something I?ll take a look at,? Crennel said. ?I?m not sure how many carries he had in the first half (six), but I don?t think he set the world on fire. From a coaching standpoint, if you don?t have very many yards in the first half (16), I don?t know how excited you are about continuing to call runs in the second half.?
On the other hand, Frye dropped back 12 times in the first half, netting just 26 yards. That fire wasn?t burning real hot, either. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail [email protected]


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Canton

Crennel: Frye is ?sore?
Tuesday, September 12, 2006 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk repository sports wRITER[/FONT]



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BEREA - The pain of a loss to the Saints left Charlie Frye with a limp and a loss, but not a serious injury.
Frye wasn?t beaten up enough Sunday to threaten his availability for Sunday?s game at Cincinnati.
?He?s a little sore,? Head Coach Romeo Crennel said Monday, ?but he?ll play.?
Frye was saying that after the game, although he didn?t show up in the locker room Monday when the media was allowed in.
In addition to getting sacked five times, Frye put himself in harm?s way during six runs that netted 44 yards.
He moved around like an old man after the game, reminding Crennel why he doesn?t want the quarterback running often.
Crennel said Frye needs more experience in games that go down to the wire. He wondered how aches and pains affected Frye?s fourth-quarter play Sunday.
?You don?t know what he was going through physically at that point,? Crennel said. ?He was running around quite a bit. Generally, he doesn?t do that during practice.
?When you are running, avoiding the rush and getting hit, that does impact you a little.?
Crennel on Frye?s overall game against the Saints:
?It?s tough to evaluate it totally, because he was under some duress. He made good decisions to get away from the duress. Basically, the balls weren?t all perfect, but they seemed to be on target. He gave us what we expected.? Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]
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Canton

BEREA - One day after the latest bad Browns loss, Head Coach Romeo Crennel was in slightly better spirits.
The 2006 season started Sunday against the Saints, and the Browns expected to take a step forward. Instead, it was a step back.
Isn?t it always?
On Monday, Crennel took blame, doled some out and in the end vowed to coach the players better. There is a litany of problems with no apparent way to correct them.
?The buck stops at my desk,? Crennel said.
Problem: Play calling.
It doesn?t get more direct. The play calling was atrocious. Twice, rookie fullback Lawrence Vickers lined up at running back and was given the ball on sweeps. Meanwhile, 1,200-yard rusher Reuben Droughns watched from the sideline as both times Vickers failed to get a first down.
?We?ve been doing that all preseason,? Crennel said. ?If he had made the play, you?d be saying ?Crennel, you?re a genius.? He didn?t make the play, now I?m a dunce. That goes with the territory.?
Problem: The offensive line.
Charlie Frye was sacked five times. He was the leading rusher. The receivers hardly had time to run routes before pressure forced Frye to move.
Yes, some of the problems can be attributed to Hank Fraley starting his first game after a week in the system.
Not all.
?He didn?t have to block everybody,? Crennel said.
He, and the other four linemen, have to block somebody. Every play. It?s that simple.
?What do you want me to do? Get a whole new line?? Crennel said. ?If the newness of one guy disrupts you, the newness of five guys really disrupts you.?
It can?t be any worse, any more painful than it was for Frye on Sunday. He looked like Tim Couch did so many Sunday afternoons.
Problem: The team looked disorganized, lacked focus and preparation.
Crennel can?t argue with that. Twice, Kellen Winslow shifted from one side to the other to switch spots with Terrelle Smith. Both times the players bumped into each other. The offense looked like it tripped over its feet, literally.
?Tell the fans I?m going to coach them better. I?m going to try to make them better,? Crennel said. ?They have to bank on that.?
Problem: Perception and reality.
Yes, penalties killed big plays. But it?s very likely there wouldn?t have been big plays without the penalties. The first play of the game ? a bomb to Braylon Edwards for a TD ? was fantasy. If Kevin Shaffer isn?t holding Will Smith (not once, but twice) Frye is sacked, or flushed out and the completion doesn?t happen.
?It would?ve been a great start to the season if there had not been holding on the play,? Crennel said.
No it wouldn?t. The best-case would have been Frye scrambling. The worst case? You watched it for four quarters.
Losing was what Cleveland deserved. A win would have masked the problems, which wouldn?t have been addressed, or, much worse, taken very seriously in the locker room.
?If we would?ve won, I might?ve smiled at you once, then said we need to improve our blocking, run defense, and on third downs,? Crennel said.
Problem: Edwards is a big-play receiver who didn?t come up with big plays.
Edwards has dropped passes before, in key situations. Receivers will do that. First-pick receivers shouldn?t.
If Edwards wants to be a superstar, he has to play the role.
Crennel said Edwards? drop that led to the Saints? clinching interception was too little, too late. Perhaps. But a team like the Browns will find itself in that position almost every Sunday. They have to make those plays. That?s the difference between winning and losing.
Problem: Losing to a woeful defensive team like New Orleans in the season opener at home spells disaster.
It very well could.
Best-case scenarios for an 8-8 season meant winning this game. Now Cleveland has a tough road game at Cincinnati.
There is a solution. Win.
?We know in all areas of the team we have to work on and try to improve,? Crennel said. ?This one game does not a season make. ... We?re going to try ... to coach the guys hard and make us play better.?
Crennel needs to prove this week that isn?t the problem. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]
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Dispatch

BROWNS NOTEBOOK
Loss provides reality check for players
Fundamental mistakes to be addressed

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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BEREA, Ohio ? Surprise and disappointment still permeated the Cleveland locker room yesterday, less than 24 hours after the Browns lost their home opener 19-14 to the New Orleans Saints.
This was the most optimistic the Browns had been coming into a season since they reentered the NFL in 1999. There was a lot of talk from players that they believed they could surprise some teams.
Much of that optimism came crashing down, and the outlook doesn?t get much better as the Browns prepare to play the defending AFC North champion Bengals on Sunday in Cincinnati.
"We are not as good as what we think we are," fullback Terrelle Smith said. " We?ve got to get better and it?s got to be fast. That?s how I feel about it. It?s something that we really have to look at each other and look in ourselves."
The Browns will likely stress fundamentals this week. They looked sloppy in all facets of the game, whether it was holding calls on offense, playing out of position on defense or not having enough players on the field on special teams. All were significant red flags this early in the season.
"Of course we should be concerned," guard Joe Andruzzi said. "You don?t want to start the season like that. But it is a long season, and hopefully we can put it all together."
Jurevicius likely out

The Browns were awaiting word last night on receiver Joe Jurevicius, who is expected to miss significant time with a rib injury. X-rays were negative after the game, but Jurevicius was scheduled to have a magnetic resonance imaging yesterday.
Jurevicius suffered the injury in the first quarter on a fourthdown play when he caught a 20-yard pass that was negated because of a holding penalty.
"They haven?t told me anything in particular," coach Romeo Crennel said. "They said he may miss some time, but I don?t know yet."
Dennis Northcutt will become the starter opposite Braylon Edwards if Jurevicius misses significant time. Candidates to be the third receiver would include Joshua Cribbs and rookie Travis Wilson.
"I have to step up," said Cribbs, who had no catches and one drop Sunday. "I have to find out what I have to do to make this team better."
First go

Crennel said he felt decent about Charlie Frye?s performance.
Frye completed 16 of 27 passes for 132 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He ran for a touchdown but was sacked five times and had nine quarterback hurries.
"It?s kind of tough to evaluate that totally because he was under duress, so I think he made good decisions to get away from the duress," Crennel said. "He was able to run and get some yards and make some good plays out of potential bad plays. He made good decisions in those areas and basically the (throws) seemed to be on target. ? So I would say he did a reasonably good job."
[email protected]
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ABJ

Back to drawing board for Browns

TOM WITHERS

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA, Ohio - Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel doesn't sugarcoat anything.
On Monday, Crennel, who cut his coaching teeth under the guidance of one of the all-time straight shooters, Bill Parcells, provided a critical appraisal of the current state of his Browns.
"We didn't play as well as we could have played or thought we could have played," he said. "We weren't very good at all, particularly in the first half. ... We are only as good as we are, and we aren't very good right now."
Woe, Romeo.
From their first offensive play (a 74-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards that was called back by a holding penalty) to their last play (a dropped pass by Edwards that turned into a game-clinching interception) the Browns were brutal in a 19-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
They didn't block or tackle well. The play-calling was suspect. And besides quarterback Charlie Frye's scrambling, the running game was running on empty.
At various times, the Browns were either disorganized or uninspired or inept or overmatched and, if possible, overrated.
"We're not as good as we thought we were," fullback Terrelle Smith said. "It's just game No. 1, which we should have had. We have to regroup and get better - very fast."
The Browns, who dropped to 1-7 in season openers since 1999, have had awful starts before on the shores of Lake Erie. But this one felt a little worse than the others because it was at home; it came against a very beatable opponent; and it ended with culpability spread from the top of Cleveland's roster to the bottom.
"Of course we should be concerned," guard Joe Andruzzi said. "We didn't want to start the season like that."
The Browns' offense, which figured to be improved, amassed 2 yards - 1 rushing, 1 passing - in the first quarter and didn't pick up a first down until 2:26 remained in the first half. By then, New Orleans led 9-0.
The first sign of trouble was the first play.
Despite taking a hard hit, Frye delivered a deep ball to Edwards, who hauled it in at the 40 and danced his way to the end zone thinking he had a TD. A yellow flag about 80 yards behind him said otherwise.
The play was nullified by a holding call against left tackle Kevin Shaffer, who was beaten to the outside on a good jump off the ball by defensive end Will Smith.
"I know I've held more in the past and not been called," Shaffer said. "I didn't feel like I tugged him or anything, but I know anytime you fall on the guy, they'll call it whether it's holding or not."
Shaffer said there wasn't time to dwell on what might have been, and he didn't let Smith get his hands on Frye again.
"I learned one play too late how to set back on him," Shaffer said. "I figured it out one play too late."
The Browns' running game, which was expected to carry the team this season, spun its wheels in the opener.
Cleveland gained just 85 yards on 22 attempts with Frye picking up 44 on six carries. Frye's runs weren't by design, either, as the second-year QB simply tucked the ball and took off when he couldn't find a receiver.
"It wasn't a good thing to see him run when he was forced to," Crennel said. "You don't want your quarterback to have to run and be the leading rusher."
Reuben Droughns, who ran for 1,232 yards last season, picked up 27 on 11 carries - his second fewest tries in 17 games with the Browns. Droughns wondered why he wasn't a bigger part of offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon's game plan.
"We have different packages that we're trying to work in there," Droughns said. "Mo is doing the best job that he can and we've just got to make plays for him."
Perhaps more puzzling than Droughns' lack of touches was that he wasn't even on the field for two third-and-1s when the Browns pitched the ball to rookie Lawrence Vickers. Both times he was stopped short of the marker.
Crennel took some exception to being second-guessed on those calls, but felt Vickers could have done more.
"If he had made the play, you would have said, 'Crennel, you are a genius,'" he said. "He didn't make the play so now I'm a dunce. That goes with the territory. ... You would think that a running back would be able to gain a yard."
Cleveland's defense had its own issues, giving up 151 rushing yards to Deuce McAllister and rookie Reggie Bush. The Browns also didn't put nearly enough pressure on Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who wasn't sacked and rarely hurried.
The sum was not what the Browns had hoped for.
"The outcome was bad," right tackle Ryan Tucker said. "We made a lot of mistakes and now we have to clean it up."
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Canton


Browns? Shaffer continues learning his lesson one play too late
Wednesday, September 13, 2006 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER [/FONT]




Browns at Bengals
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati
TV Channel 19

BEREA The plan is for young Kevin Shaffer to start for the Browns in a Super Bowl within five years.
If it happens, Shaffer can look back and laugh at his first play in Cleveland. At the moment, though, his holding penalty that cost the Browns a touchdown on the first snap of 2006 is painful.
Former Ohio State star Will Smith beat Shaffer off the snap. Shaffer had to hook Smith?s right arm to keep him off Charlie Frye, who threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards.
?I learned one play too late how to set him,? Shaffer said of the first snap in Sunday?s 19-14 loss to the Saints.
?I set back on him. The rest of the game I decided, ?OK, I?m gonna quick set him.?
?In your mind you?re going through how you?re gonna set guys. You can?t always use the same pass set you work on.
?Again, I figured that out one play too late.?
It?s fairly early in Shaffer?s career. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Pennsylvanian stuck with the Falcons as an undrafted rookie in 2002, gained an in-house reputation as a tough guy who would mature, and became a full-time starting left tackle in 2004.
Browns General Manager Phil Savage projected him as a playoff caliber player in March, when Shaffer signed a seven-year, $36 million deal a week after his 26th birthday. That?s the second-richest contract ever signed by a Browns offensive lineman, behind LeCharles Bentley.
?He?s tough, competitive and he?ll give you an honest day of work,? Savage said. ?We felt like he was a worthwhile investment for us because we?ve had such a revolving door at left tackle (Lomas Brown, Roman Oben, Barry Stokes, Ross Verba, L.J. Shelton).?
Left guard Joe Andruzzi, right guard Cosey Coleman and right tackle Ryan Tucker are more experienced. All three were with the Browns last year. If Shaffer could advance quickly, it would help offset the emergency installment of Hank Fraley at center.
However, the line came away from Game 1 with harsh reviews.
?The problem is not that the center is new,? Head Coach Romeo Crennel said. ?Hank does not have to block everybody. He didn?t have to make every call. He doesn?t have to help everybody on the offensive line.
?I?m not going to say because he is new we didn?t play as well as we should have.?
Who knows how a 74-yard, first-play touchdown would have changed the game? This is known: After the first play, no Browns play netted more than 18 yards.
Crennel hasn?t shared his scouting-style view of Shaffer. Likewise, he offered only a peripheral analysis of the holding call: ?Their rusher got a good jump off the ball, and he was able to collapse our pocket. As a result of the pocket being collapsed, and Shaffer trying to protect the quarterback, the official dropped the flag.?
Did Shaffer think the call was justified?
?I didn?t feel like I tugged him,? he said. ?Any time you fall on a guy, typically they?ll call it.?
Replays seemed to indicate a good case to drop a flag.
Shaffer said the offensive line showed signs of life.
?The biggest thing is, we just hurt ourselves,? said the veteran of 40 NFL starts. ?I don?t feel like they beat us. I feel like we beat ourselves. ?As time went on, we started to learn how to play with each other and how to do some things right.? Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]
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Canton

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT: Savage shares fans? pain after season debut

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]SPORTS SPOTLIGHT TODD PORTER[/FONT]


MASSILLON Before Phil Savage stepped outside his SUV, he did his homework. He knew he was going in to speak to an educated football crowd. The Browns general manager spent his Tuesday lunch hour with the Massillon Touchdown Club.
Two days after a horrible home-opening loss, Savage won the folks over with his knowledge of Massillon.
He ticked off a list of college campuses and games where he will spend the next five weeks. It?s a cross-country journey from Columbus today to USC and Fresno State in three weeks and the Carolinas at the end.
?I can?t think of a better place to start that journey than the cradle of football, Massillon, Ohio,? Savage said to an ovation. ?... It is an incredible responsibility to walk in the footsteps of, namely, Paul Brown and his unprecedented success in pro football. What we?re trying to do is get back to a level of consistent play.?
The GM wasn?t all about winning over fans. He knows fans are frustrated.
Savage gave a dose of honest opinions about the season-opening performance. In a nutshell, there are no excuses for that kind of play and coaching.
?Our expectation was to win that game,? Savage said. ?There was simply no excuses for what happened Sunday. It?s time for this team to win.?
Savage wasn?t emotional. He was matter-of-fact, a breath of fresh air.
Guys like Savage are the ones you want to root for. He?s the guy who answers questions with more straight-forwardness than anyone since the Browns returned in 1999.
?We need to establish something on offense,? Savage said. ?That was a big disappointment. Offensively in the first half, there was not a single play you can say, ?That?s something the Cleveland Browns can
do.? ?
Savage seemed as perplexed as you were that running back Reuben Droughns got just 11 carries. Droughns ran for more than 1,200 yards last season. In all six of the team?s 2005 wins, Droughns carried at least 15 times and averaged 4 yards.
On Sunday?
Droughns averaged 2.5.
?For Reuben to be a 1,200-yard guy, you have to feed him the ball,? Savage said. ?You will see how it goes for Reuben next week. We have to establish something offensively, and Reuben is one of our more proven players on offense.?
The Saints had a smallish defensive front. If they have a forte, it?s putting pressure on the quarterback because of their quickness, not power.
Why then were the Browns throwing the football and running on the perimeter when they needed the tough yard?
?We never came off on the line as a cohesive group and powered the ball at the Saints,? Savage said. ?Unfortunately we opted to do other things, and we were exposed.?
It was honesty, for a change.
Savage didn?t come off as trying to embarrass any coach. Offensive Coordinator Maurice Carthon is taking the brunt of talk-show callers? angst.
Give Carthon credit for coming out aggressively. The first play of the game was a long pass to Braylon Edwards. It was the perfect start to a season for a franchise lacking anything perfect over the years.
A holding penalty brought the play back.
Four penalties is all Cleveland had Sunday. All four killed the team, Savage said.
?It was when they came and how they occurred,? Savage said. ?They were probably unnecessary to say the least. They didn?t have much impact on the play itself, and we never established anything offensively to hang our hats on. Those were the most disappointing aspects of it.?
Now it?s about staying on an emotional level. Savage knows the first-play penalty hurt the team emotionally. He knows this team never won two straight last season. The Browns haven?t had a winning streak since 2003, and they haven?t won three in a row since returning to the NFL.
?There are emotional highs and lows in a season, and a game,? Savage said. ?I didn?t think we handled it that well.? The step toward fixing something is to admit there is a problem. This regime does that. Now they have to prove they can fix it. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]



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